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Q: It’s A sold-out crowd here today and a lot of people are talking about what a great lineup it is. Do these Masters 1000s feel different than slams? It’s a smaller event, but the fans still get to see sort of a blockbuster lineup all day.

Andy Murray: Yeah, I think if I was coming to watch as a fan, coming like to the Wednesday of a Masters Series, especially a combined one, yeah, is pretty much the best ticket you can get really.
You know, if I could buy one ticket, I would probably want to go and watch a slam final. But, you know, if you want to see all of the players, you can watch them practice, you can see obviously men and the women here. Yeah, it’s a pretty good ticket.

Q: You’d buy one of those tickets?

Andy Murray: I don’t know how much they are. (Laughter.) I’d think about it though.

Q: I know you have your racquet coming up for the public to buy. How much is that version different from the one you use? How much input have you had in sort of the mainstream version. I know you did a lot of tinkering with the one you used.

Federer: Yeah, basically it’s a year ago where I started the racquet testing after Wimbledon. Anyway, it’s a long process. But actually, it all went pretty quickly because I did not use it again here actually for this tournament. Right before I switched my mind, I switched and I said, Okay, I’ll play the year normally.
After all the back issues I had I needed to first figure out what’s going on with my game and my back. So I really lost a few months there.
So the change was swift. I’m happy now that you can buy it. It’s the one I’m playing with. They are going to make it in three different versions. The one exactly I’m playing with, and then I think two lighter versions of it for younger people or weaker people, you know, who can carry such a heavy racquet.
Not that mine is crazy, but it’s good to have the choice. I’m very excited, because I have been playing pretty much with the same racquet since 2002 with some little adjustments here and there, but never to the extreme of changing the size of the racquet the way it is now.
So this is a major change for me, and I’m happy I have made the switch. I’m happy with the way I’m playing.

Q: Do you think the racquet is more important or strings, tension?

Federer:I mean, everything is on the racquet. Strings I use, what tension I use, the weight of the racquet it is, all the information is on the racquet.
So when you go buy it, it’s the one I’m playing with, which was the most important thing for Wilson, myself. That racquet does exist, of course.

Two young female American players, Madison Keys & Taylor Townsend are advancing to the 2nd round of the Western & Southern Open with a lot of confidence. The 19 year old, Keys, dismantled the 23rd ranked player in the world, Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-4 . When asked if Key’s thought the day went as well as anticipated, Keys quoted, “I don’t have many complaints about today. Definitely played pretty well & stayed in my game for the most part.” By advancing to the 2nd round, Keys will face Maria Sharapova for the first time in her young career. Keys & Sharapova both share the arguably the most powerful agent in women’s tennis, Max Eisenbud. Key’s is surely excited for the challenge against the 5 time major winner. “Well, I have already had an e-mail from Max. He’s happy he’s not here this week. But you know, obviously she’s an amazing player & I have never played her before. I’m excited. You know, going in and no pressure.”

Townsend on the other hand, had to face some pressure just to earn her a spot into the main draw. Townsend defeated fellow American Alison Riske & Spainard Silvia Soler-Espinosa to qualify for her spot in the main draw. Townsend went into her match with versus Klara Koukalova looking for some revenge. Koukalova ended Townsend’s 2014 Wimbledon campaign in the 1st round. Townsend had to work hard for her victory today. When asked if winning three set matches was a good thing, Townsend replied, “I think you’ve got ot do what you gotta do to win. Really, that’s what I’m proving to myself.” Townsend learned a lot from her experiences today, “I really tried to fight as hard as I could. I tried to stay in every single point and not give her too many free points.” Townsend will face the winner of Chanelle Scheepers — Flavia Pennetta match.

Cincinnati, Ohio (July 14th, 2014) -The Western & Southern Open was pleased to announce both the Men’s & Women’s tournament fields for the W&S Open which is being held from August 9th – August 17th at the Linder Family Tennis Center 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. The player field announcement was held at the historic Ensemble Theater located in Over-the-Rhine in downtown Cincinnati.

The Men’s commitment list features the top 43 players in the World (rankings as of entry deadline of June 30) including the famously dubbed “Big 4″. The World’s No. 1 player Novak Djokovic, fresh off his 2nd career Wimbledon title, is looking claim the Rookwood Cup for the first time in his career and become the first player to win all nine of the ATP Tour Masters 1000 series events. The Men’s field also includes the 2014 Australian Open champion & World No. 4, Stanislas Wawrinka. You can’t talk about the game of tennis without mentioning two of the greatest players of all time, 2013 Western & Southern Open champion, Rafael Nadal & four time (2012, ’10, ’09, ’07) Western & Southern Open Champion Roger Federer. The Men’s field will be jammed back with great competition.

The Women’s draw will feature all of the WTA’s World Top 30 tennis players including World No.1 Serena Williams. Williams who has struggling in 2014, battling injuries and early exits from the first three major championships, is looking to capture her first title in Cincinnati. Williams will look to get into a nice hard court groove before trying to defend her 2013 U.S. Open title. The World No. 10 ranked player, Victoria Azarenka, will look to shake off her 2014 injury ridden season & defend her title at the Western & Southern Open. New comers, Genie Bouchard & Simona Halep, will look to continue make loud statements with there play at the Western & Southern Open.

The Western & Southern Open established in 1899, is the oldest professional tennis tournament in the United States that is still held in it’s original city. The W&S Open is only one of five events in the world outside of the Grand Slams with events of both ATP Tour Masters 1000 series and a Premier 5 event for the WTA occurring during the same week at the same venue. According to a report in 2011, the Western & Southern Open produced a $62.5 million impact for the economy of Great Cincinnati through its capital expansion, tournament operations and spending by visitors outside the area.

The event will be broadcasted by the Tennis Channel, ESPN 2 and CBS to more than 60 million people in 170 countries worldwide. The Western & Southern Open is one of the last stops prior to the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York.